The Survivor
by ToothPasteCanyon
Summary: She isn't a Crystal Gem. She isn't a Homeworld Gem. In a world where both sides want her dead, this Pearl does whatever it takes to survive. Spoilers for A Single Pale Rose.
1. Chapter 1

For three thousand years, Pearl had served her Aquamarine faithfully. When there was a file to retrieve, Pearl was there. When there was a Gem to send for, Pearl was there. When battle plans needed ferrying to another high-ranking strategist, Pearl was there.

For three thousand years, Pearl was there, and yet, what appreciation had Aquamarine shown her? When had she last said, 'Thank you, Pearl' when important documents passed on time and unread into her hands? She could count the slip ups she'd made on one hand, but when they happened, oh, the rage Aquamarine displayed! It made her cower just thinking about it. When had she ever given Pearl the benefit of the doubt?

Pearl's fists clenched as she walked down a long, empty corridor. Rose was right. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair! She… she didn't _want_ to do this anymore! She _wanted_ to be free!

It was a strange thing, for a Pearl to _want_. What would her Aquamarine say? No, wait, she didn't _care_ what Aquamarine said! Hah! Now how's that for Crystal Gem talk?

She was a Crystal Gem. The thought made her giddy with fear and excitement – a Crystal Gem! And Rose told her she didn't even have to fight like the Renegade to count herself within their ranks; all she had to do was one, simple task.

Pearl slowed to a stop in the corridor, and glanced both ways. She listened for footsteps – there were none. She was absolutely alone.

Slowly, Pearl reached for her gemstone, embedded in her shoulder. It began to glow a soft blue, and she drew out a screen. She entered Aquamarine's password, and it lit up with sketches, notes, highly confidential battle plans to defeat the Crystal Gems.

She could be shattered for doing something like this. Rose Quartz had better be appreciative of the risks she was taking.

Pearl read the plans quickly, enscribing every line to her perfect memory. The second she was done, she shut it down and returned it to her gemstone. She looked around once more; nobody was here. Nobody had seen. She'd gotten away with it.

Pearl tried to contain the grin on her face, the skip in her step as she proceeded to Aquamarine. Three thousand years of faithful service ended now.

Now, she was a Crystal Gem.

* * *

"Are you a Crystal Gem?"

Pearl stiffened. Aquamarine knew. Oh my stars, she knew, she knew, she knew!

"N-no, my Aquamarine! Absolutely not!"

"Huh. That's funny, then." Her Aquamarine tapped on a screen, slowly, deliberately. "Because recently, the Crystal Gems have been one step ahead of me at all times. And when I go to check my plans, I find that they've been opened before. If you're not a Crystal Gem, you're obviously completely incompetent." She glanced at Pearl. "Do you know what happens to incompetent Gems, Pearl?"

"They get… h-harvested."

"Indeed. So - considering that little fact - are you a Crystal Gem?"

Pearl kept her mouth shut. She clasped her hands together, so they would not tremble.

"Answer me, Pearl!"

A bead of sweat ran down Pearl's face, and she looked away.

Aquamarine's scowl turned dark. She lashed out, grabbing Pearl by the front of her uniform and dragging her in close. Pearl strained away from her terrible face as she screamed, "Don't lie to me! You're a Crystal Gem! A traitor! How much did you tell them?! How much!"

"The three most recent plans, a-and nothing more! Please, have mercy! Please, Aquamarine!"

Aquamarine threw her onto the floor. "Mercy? A traitor to Homeworld deserves none of my mercy! You'll be shattered for this!"

"Wait!" She held her hands out. "I can be useful to you! I know where Rose's armies are stationed!"

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, I've been there! I know where it is, and I'll tell you anything! Just don't shatter me!"

There was a pause. Pearl watched Aquamarine's face morph from absolute rage to something altogether too calm. She put a hand on her chin. "Hmmm… so you want to become my informant, huh? That is tempting – it's so hard to find any Crystal Gems who'll tell us anything. But how do I know you're not lying to save your shards?"

"I'm not lying. I've seen it!"

"So I'm supposed to take you at your word, then. Fine. I'll give you a chance, but-" She stabbed a finger at Pearl's face. "If this turns out to be some sort of trick, you'll wish you were shattered! Now get up. Follow me."

Pearl got up. And she followed.

* * *

"Where is Rose's base?"

"Who else is passing information to the Crystal Gems, Pearl? I need at least three names!"

"You're only alive because you're of use to me, Pearl. So make yourself useful and tell me where their armies are stationed!"

Aquamarine asked so many questions, and she answered them - truthfully. How could she lie? She'd be shattered the instant her information was proven false. She couldn't run, either; if she wasn't in Aquamarine's presence, she was being escorted by one of the many elite warriors under her command.

It wasn't about freedom anymore. It was about survival. And every day, Pearl hung on by her fingernails. She did everything Aquamarine asked of her, quickly and efficiently. She was the perfect pearl, and she could only hope that would be enough.

What would the Crystal Gems would think of her now, following obediently behind her Aquamarine? She tried not to think of the friends she had made in the short time she had been there; she was sure none of them would want to see her now if they knew what she was doing.

Bismuth. The Renegade. Rose Quartz. She'd betrayed all of them, like a dirty coward.

No. No, she wasn't a coward. They wouldn't understand the position she was in; what would freedom mean to her if she was shattered? She was just doing the logical thing to protect herself. She was presented with an impossible choice; this was difficult for her too!

She wasn't a coward.

She wasn't a Crystal Gem, either.

She was just a survivor.

* * *

Pink Diamond shattered. Orders to retreat, ferried to and fro. Pearl watched a bright white light envelop the Earth from the window of a drop ship.

The Crystal Gems were truly gone. But she was still here. She had survived.

So why did she feel… so ashamed?

"And so it ends." Aquamarine sat back in her chair. "Finally, we can put this mess behind us. Get away from the window, Pearl."

Pearl obeyed.

* * *

For three thousand years, Pearl had served her Aquamarine faithfully. She retrieved files, she sent for Gems, she did everything that was asked of her, as fast as possible. Technology had improved, and she didn't need to go running around ships to deliver messages like she used to.

Most of the time, she stayed by Aquamarine's side. Other Gems complimented her owner on how pretty, how quiet, how professional she was.

Aquamarine's reply was always the same: "Oh, I don't know. I might be replacing this one soon; we'll see how she does."

And she'd look to Pearl and smile with too many teeth. Pearl had long stopped feeling a rush of fear at that expression; unless she did something wildly out of line, Aquamarine wouldn't get rid of her. Ever since the incident at Earth, she often reminded Pearl that at any time, at any moment, she could still turn her in for treason. Pearl supposed she got some sick kick out of it.

Pearl didn't really care anymore. As long as she was alive, she counted herself as one of the lucky ones. Most of the Crystal Gems had not been so fortunate.

 _And it was all her fault_ -

"Do you need anything, my Aquamarine?"

"Hm? No." Aquamarine paused. "Actually, yes. Retrieve Morganite Facet 347D Cut 75X's treatise on the battle tactics of lightspeed-capable crafts, volume 3. I shall have need of it soon."

"Of course, my Aquamarine."

She searched the database. She found the treatise. She sent it over.

"Ah, there it is. That will be all, Pearl."

There was no thank you. Pearl wasn't expecting one. She didn't know why, after all these years, that still ignited an old fury buried deep within her.

* * *

"Another planet to colonise. Ugh, and so far away from Homeworld!" Aquamarine sat back in her chair, rubbing her forehead. "I already miss my quarters in Blue Diamond's court. This ship – it's so cramped!"

Pearl said nothing. She was busy flying the ship.

Aquamarine tapped on her screen. "Let me see the map… yes, it's so far away! Ridiculous. Even at light speed, it'll take us days. How boring! Isn't it boring, Pearl?"

"Oh, yes, my Aquamarine. Very boring."

"Just like you. You know, I could replace you at any time! Especially after the whole debacle with Earth – oh, I should. It wouldn't be hard, you know!"

Pearl nodded. "No, it wouldn't."

"No, it wouldn't." She seemed to deflate at Pearl's monotone reply. "Just thought you should know."

Usually, such talks ended there, and both Gems would go back to what they were doing. But Pearl, with most of her focus on the strenuous task of driving a ship at light speed, continued one line longer. "I already do."

It came off just a little more rude than she had intended. Aquamarine's head jerked up. "Are you talking back to me? How dare you!"

Pearl blinked; she could hear something wrong in her owner's voice. She slowed the ship and turned around. "What is it?"

"This is unacceptable, Pearl! You'd better start showing me more respect from now on; if it wasn't for me, you'd be shattered a long time ago!" She crossed her arms. "And what do I get for my mercy? Insolence and ingratitude. It's disgraceful."

"Ingratitude?" Pearl clenched her fists. "With all due respect, my Aquamarine, I was very grateful for your help-"

"Shut your mouth. You're as ungrateful as they come. When's the last time I heard a 'thank you' for my sacrifice?" She rolled her eyes at Pearl's stunned silence. "That's what I thought."

That old fury was beating in Pearl's mind. She almost choked on it when she opened her mouth. "T-thank you? Thank you? When's the last time you thanked me?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew she'd made a terrible mistake. Aquamarine's eyes narrowed.

"You are out of line." She rose from her seat. "You are a Pearl! You are my servant! I don't have to feel grateful to you; you were made to serve me!"

"I'm so sorry, my Aquamarine. I didn't think-"

"Oh yes, you did. This is what you've been thinking all along, isn't it?" Aquamarine narrowed her eyes. "I thought you'd abandoned these treasonous thoughts a long time ago, but it seems I still have a Crystal Gem as a Pearl. You've learned nothing. As soon as you get the chance, you'll turn on me without a second thought."

"No, no-"

" _Shut your mouth_!" She put up a hand, and Pearl quailed in her chair. "I need to replace you. I've been putting this off too long. As soon as we reach our destination, I will immediately put in an order of replacement. You're done, Pearl." Aquamarine stared down at her with cold, glinting eyes. "You've outlived your usefulness."

 _Outlived her usefulness_. The words echoed in Pearl's ears, stirring up a six thousand years' worth of white hot rage. It pulsed at the edges of her vision, made her arms start to tremble as if she simply couldn't contain the sheer fury that was unleashed within her. She had to move, or explode.

"Now, Pearl, do the right thing for once in your sorry existence and steer us over there. That will be-"

Pearl lunged forwards grabbed her Aquamarine around her neck. Her owner was so much smaller than she imagined, and so much weaker.

"That will be all?" Pearl slammed the little Gem against the wall. Aquamarine's eyes went wide. "That will be all? That will be all?"

She drew Aquamarine up and drove her into the wall again, and again, and again and again and again again again again again again…

Pearl didn't know how long she spent slamming Aquamarine into the wall. But when the fury died and she came back to herself, she was holding shards.

They were warm, and sharp, and they shone like stars in the light. The floor was a galaxy, and it crunched when she took a step back.

Little shards of Aquamarine dug into the bottom of Pearl's foot, and she _screamed_.

* * *

 _YOU HAVE ARRIVED AT DESTINATION: EARTH_

With shaking hands, Pearl disengaged from the flight computer. She blinked once, twice, then looked forwards (not back, not back) to see the blue planet Earth looming in front of her.

It looked… so alive. Pearl thought she was fleeing to a dead planet, but it looked just as lush and blue as it had during the Rebellion days. A perfect hiding spot from Homeworld.

Pearl steered the ship forwards, and began to enter the atmosphere. Heat began to build on the bottom of the ship; she pushed it a little faster.

The skies began to lighten and take on a dark blue colour. Pearl looked all around her, taking in the green land below her. She was going back to Earth.

And then something grabbed her shoulder.

Pearl yelped and jerked forwards. The thing that grabbed her lost its grip and went tumbling into her lap. It was a giant… blue arm, squirming around.

Where did that come from? She dared to look backwards, and was greeted with another twenty or so arms crawling towards her. It was then that she realized: the shards!

The arm in her lap flopped over onto the flight computer. Warning signs lit up, and the ship pitched forwards. It began to spin, faster and faster, and Pearl could only hold on to the chair and hope.

Flashes of blue and green through the window, brighter, closer. Pearl wrapped a hand over her Gem and squeezed her eyes shut.

The impact came sooner than she expected. There was a great bang, and Pearl was flung forward, into the window, and then- darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

Light.

Pearl opened her eyes. She let out a great gasp, before sitting up and looking around.

White walls. Brown carpet. Her little desk propped up by her bed, stacked with papers. She breathed in, breathed out, and sagged back onto the mattress, staring up at the ceiling.

That was awful.

Every hundred years or so, Pearl tried this 'sleep' she'd heard so much about, and every time it was a mistake. She was returning this bed. Sleep was a torture she'd leave to the humans.

Pearl wiped her eyes and reached for her phone. She checked the time - still quite early. She slid out of bed, stretched this way and that, and then crossed the room to her wardrobe.

Two human outfits hung on hangars inside, and on the door was a small mirror. Pearl spared a glance at her gemstone, where a deep cut yawned from edge to edge. It... well, it was what it was. She'd managed to take remarkably good care of her gemstone for the two thousand years it'd been cracked for, but it wasn't getting any better.

She turned away from the mirror and slipped a dress and jacket on, hiding her gemstone under the thick material. Then she walked over to her desk and sat down, where she began to straighten some of the messier piles.

There was a nametag on her desk: 'Ms Laelia', with a little apple after it. Pearl accidentally knocked it onto the floor, and she reached down to grab it.

Briefly, Pearl came face to face with the lowest drawer of her desk. The handle had a rather large padlock on it, and she shivered before quickly straightening up and replacing the name tag on her desk. She nudged it just _so_ , and smiled at her neat desk. Everything was in its place.

Pearl sat there, working on some of the papers until an alarm went off on her phone; it was time to go. She grabbed a file and rose from her chair, then headed out the door.

Streetlights were still on when she walked outside, but the sky was a beautiful mix of clouds tinged with orange drifting across a dark blue sky. Summer was fast approaching, and every day it got a little brighter in the morning.

Pearl loved the seasons. Where passing strangers slouched and drew their coats a little tighter around their bodies, she walked with a spring in her step, gazing up at towering buildings as she passed them. She came to a little park on the bank of the Thames River and admired the yellow dandelions sprouting on the grass. It was all so beautiful – Pearl didn't deserve to live on a planet like this.

The park ended, and Pearl turned down another street, arriving at Rivercoast High School just as the sun began to peek out over the city's horizon.

Ms Laelia was ready to begin another day on Earth.

* * *

"And after the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror was crowned King of England. We still have a tapestry about the event – the Bayeux Tapestry, as you can see on this slide. It's actually an embroidery, but that won't be on your test, don't worry about it."

In the classroom, somebody at the back raised his hand. "Ms Laelia?"

"Yes, Daniel?"

"Why does the tapestry look so weird?" Several classmates began to giggle. "I mean, no, it looks weird! Middle Ages stuff always looks really awkward, with the faces and stuff. And their arms always look so fake. Am I the only one?"

Ms Laelia pursed her lips. "Rude. I'll have you know he worked hard on this."

"How do you know? You weren't there a thousand years ago."

"No, I suppose I wasn't." The bell rang, and she capped her marker. "Well, that concludes our lesson. Have a nice lunch, everyone! Remember 1066 and the three contenders for the throne!"

"Wait, three?"

"Yes, three. The test is tomorrow, Daniel."

"Wait, tomorrow?"

She chuckled. "I'm here during lunch if you have any questions."

"Oh, well, then I-I'd better stay here, then!"

"That sounds like a good idea." She walked over to her desk and sat down. "Come up to me for help."

As the last few people began to file out of the room, Ms Laelia logged in to her computer. The first thing she saw was the attendance sheet for all her students, and she spared a little smile before moving on to the latest assignment she had to grade.

Before becoming a teacher, Ms Laelia was always confused about why basic knowledge wasn't always so readily known to the humans around her - they had school, didn't they? But now that she was here, she could see that not every child had the same amount of interest in the Battle of Hastings as their peers.

Humans were all so different from each other. She found it fascinating.

"Hey, Ms Laelia?"

She looked up. "Yes?"

"Can you help me with something?" Daniel pointed at a passage in his textbook. "I'm just confused about this Harald guy- or, um, Harold? They keep switching it up."

Fascinating… but, Ms Laelia had to admit, a little more work than she had expected.

"Okay, let me start from the beginning-"

Two knocks at the door.

"Hello? Come in!"

The door opened. In came a rather short woman in a purple shirt balancing a stack of papers. "Pearl? I've got the permission slips from my class!"

"Oh? Oh, thank you!" Ms Laelia jumped up and quickly took them off her hands. "You're the best, Emily. Thanks for bringing them over so quickly."

"Aww, it's no problem. How's your day going?"

"Quite well! Yourself?"

"Eh."

"Something the matter?"

"I pulled my shoulder earlier today. Kind of hurts."

She cringed. "Ouch. I'm sorry to hear that. That's the worst kind of pain."

"It's okay. It'll pass." Emily looked over to the student sitting awkwardly at the back. "Oh, Danny! Hi there!"

He gave a little wave. "Hi… Mom."

"What's my little guy doing over here? Shouldn't you be at lunch with your friends?"

Daniel reddened. "Well, um-"

"Oh, he just came in for a little help."

"Are you having trouble in history, sweetie?" Emily put a hand on his arm. "You should have told me! What do you need? I'm not a history teacher, but I can totally get you a tutor. Or how about we meet with the principal, let him know-"

"Mom, I'm fine. It's fine." Now a deep beet red, Daniel picked up his bag. "I-I think I figured it out, anyway. My question."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah! Everything's fine, I don't need help. I'm going to lunch."

"Oh, okay." Emily watched him head out the door. "Love you!"

Pearl made a face. "You know, I didn't get a chance to explain the difference between Harold and Harald. That will be an issue on the test tomorrow."

"He should have told me he was having problems!" She shook her head. "What if he fails tomorrow? He's going to feel awful. I need to do something."

Ms Laelia straightened a stack of papers. "Well, there's retakes at every lunch next week."

"No, no, he needs to pass! What if-" She snapped her fingers. "Oh! Pearl!"

"Yes?"

"What if you gave him a little extra help? You could- could you come over after school and give him some extra tutoring before the test? I'll pay you for your time, of course, and you can stay for dinner, too! How does that sound?"

"Oh, I don't know. I'm not very hungry."

"Then go home afterwards if you like; you're such a whiz at history there's no way it could take longer than an hour, tops."

Ms Laelia began to smile. "Well, that is true."

"Yeah!" Emily slung an arm around her shoulder, and that smile promptly disappeared. "And after we should totally- what the? What's on your shoulder?"

"That? I broke my collarbone once, and it healed strangely."

"Oh." She moved her hand rather quickly. "Oh. Um, where was I?"

Ms Laelia stepped back. "Look, Emily, I'm really sorry but I don't think I can make it. I had a test in another class, and I've got to get that in the books. If your son has any questions, he can definitely email them to me."

"Okay. I'll stop bugging you about it. Really wish you could come, though."

"I can't. Don't worry about it, though. With a little studying, he'll do fine on the test tomorrow."

Emily snorted. "Oh, he'll be studying - I'll make sure of that. Anyways, I guess I should be heading back to my class. See you later, Pearl."

"See you later."

Ms Laelia waved; as soon as the door shut, she moved her arm over and started rubbing her shoulder. That human could be so pushy sometimes. It was irritating.

Ah, well.

Pearl shrugged to herself, and pulled up her grade book again. She may have been lying about her shoulder, but the test was all too real.

She settled in, and lost herself in work for the rest of the hour.

* * *

Clouds had settled in by the end of the day, and Pearl started the walk home in a light drizzle. It was fine – Pearl wouldn't have stayed in England for two thousand years if she couldn't handle a little rain – but she walked a little more briskly than usual.

It was fine. Earth was beautiful. She should feel lucky every day for living on it, rain or shine. It was more than she deserved. More than-

Pearl pulled out her phone. She needed to check her emails. Oh, look, there was a question from Daniel already! She'd better answer that right away.

She was already in the park, so she sat herself down on one of the beautiful damp benches in the beautiful rain and began to read.

 _Dear Ms Laelia,_ it started. Nice and polite.

 _I have been looking over my study guide, and I'm having some trouble with certain sections-_

"Excuse me?"

Pearl looked up. A little boy in a star shirt had wandered up to her. "Yes?"

"Could you take a picture of me and my family?" He pointed at two men standing under a tree. "We want a picture of all three of us!"

"Yeah," One of the men said in a thick American accent. "Make it quick, too. I'm getting soaked over here."

Ah, tourists. Pearl smiled. "Oh, I'd be happy to!"

"Alright, Schtu-ball. Should we do it over by the river?" The other man handed a camera to Pearl. "Thanks for doing this."

"Oh, it's no problem. Everybody get in frame!"

The three of them posed by the side of the river, smiling with their arms around each other. Pearl held up the camera.

"Say cheese!"

She took the picture.

"Thanks again. I appreciate it." The man took back his camera. "Hey, it looks good! Check it out, Steven!"

The little boy looked over his shoulder. "Whoa! It looks super good! Thank you!"

"You're welcome. So, are you three visiting London?"

"Yup!" Steven pointed at the man in the brown jacket. "My uncle Andy flew us here! He's a super awesome pilot."

"Really? Huh. I used to be a pilot."

Andy perked up at this. "You fly?"

"Not anymore, but I used to fly commercial airlines. It was nice."

"It was nice? Is that all you gotta say about that? What planes did ya fly? How long were you a pilot for?"

"Errr…"

"Andy, slow down! I think you're freaking her out." The other man put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. Andy's a little passionate about flying."

"Hey, it's not often I get to meet other pilots, Greg. I'm just asking some friendly questions." He turned back to Pearl. "What airline did ya used to fly for?"

"It was Pan Eu."

"Wait, Pan Eu? Are you sure?"

"Yes?" Pearl took a half-step back. "Why?"

"You look a little young to be someone who flew for Pan Eu. That airline closed back in the nineties."

Pearl didn't know how to answer that. The panic must have showed on her face, because Andy's eyebrows knitted together into one hard line.

"You're making this all up, aren't you?"

"Uncle Andy," Steven tugged on his jacket. "Let's just go. Let's get out of the rain."

Andy hesitated, then sighed and turned away. "Yeah, I suppose it don't matter. Just thought I was meeting another pilot, but I guess not. Let's go."

"Sorry about that. Thanks for the picture."

Greg picked up Steven, and his shirt slipped up. Something shone on his stomach, some kind of gemstone? She peered closer; it was bright and pink, with a hexagonal cut _and cold fear stabbed at the very core of the being as she realized exactly who this was._

"Rose Quartz!" Pearl physically recoiled from her. Rose, in London? What was she doing here?! Oh, this was the end of the line- no, no no!

No. No, it wouldn't end like this. She risked a glance up.

"-are you?" Rose was saying. She was too close, far too close. "Hello?"

And Pearl acted. She grabbed Rose by the shoulders, picked her up and threw her into the river Thames. Then she turned tail and ran, shoving past Andy and Greg as they tried to grab her.

Out of the park. Down the streets, her footsteps squelching and splashing in the rain.

Away from Rose.


	3. Chapter 3

Pearl ran like she had never run before. She tore down streets, shoved past strangers and took sharp turns down narrow alleyways. By the time she came to a stop behind somebody else's dumpster, she was in a completely different part of the city. She hoped that would be enough to lose Rose.

Pearl sank to her knees. Now what?

Rose knew she existed. No doubt she and her Crystal Gems were searching the park right now- and it was five minutes from her home, so she couldn't go there. And the school, too.

Well, that was the end of her teaching career, then. And probably her life in England. That was fine; there were plenty of other places in the world without warp pads. Australia, probably. She'd visited a few times, it wasn't so bad. Or she could pack up and move to one of the Brazilian Islands-

No, wait. Her desk was still at her apartment.

Pearl paused, and then slammed her fist into the nearby wall. Her desk was still at her apartment! Ohhh, things couldn't ever be easy for her, could they? What was she going to do about that? She couldn't leave without her desk – there were some _very_ important things inside of it.

Maybe she could sneak in. Shapeshift into something small, something Rose wouldn't be on the lookout for. A bird, perhaps. She was a little rusty, but if she concentrated maybe she could pull it off.

Pearl closed her eyes and visualised a bird. Her form began to glow- and a stab of pain tore itself from her broken gemstone. She cried out and collapsed on her side, clutching at the source of the agony until it slowly subsided back into a familiar dull throb.

She laid there still, a hand resting on her gemstone. That hurt. She'd forgotten how much that hurt.

But she had to try again. This was still her best option; if she could just push through long enough…

Pearl squeezed her eyes tight, and visualised a bird. The pain came again, a ripping, tearing sensation that only intensified as she pressed onwards like a knife twisting in her shoulder. A bird, she thought. Wings. Tail. Beak.

The knife twisted further, and she could hardly think through the pain. Every inch of her form was burning and tortured, and she… she… _she couldn't_. Stop! Stop! Stop!

Pearl couldn't see, couldn't move. All she could do was exist, and suffer.

It was a long time before she could open her eyes again. Slowly, she crawled up to a sitting position and wrapped her shaking arms around her legs.

Shapeshifting… was not on the table.

She had to think of something else. Pearl rummaged in her purse, and drew out her phone. She turned it on; it was still showing that email from Daniel she had meant to answer.

Hmm. This gave her an idea.

* * *

From the instant that stranger said, 'Rose Quartz', Greg knew their vacation was about to be derailed by some magical Gem business. Which was a problem, because magical Gem business was exactly the thing Steven needed a vacation from.

Days ago, they'd been sitting together in the van parked outside of the car wash, watching cartoons until late at night. Greg remembered the harsh light from the screen glaring into his face until his eyes were sore. He'd look down, and see Steven slumped against him, so still anyone would think he was sleeping. But his eyes were always open, his mind always stewing.

Greg would sigh, and settle in closer. Steven might wrap his arms a little tighter around him, and they'd both think about how to go about fixing this mess.

Rose was Pink Diamond.

It didn't mean a whole lot to Greg on its own, but he could see how it weighed on Steven, heard about how the revelation had taken Pearl, Amethyst, and Garnet. He'd gone over to the beach house one day, and found Rose's portrait, once hung so proudly above the door, taken down and thrown in the trash. The house was empty.

Greg took her portrait to his storage shed before he went back to Steven.

He didn't know how to fix this mess; as with most Gem things, he was totally out of his depth. He could only support his son, listen to him when he wanted to talk, and watch cartoons when he didn't.

It was during one of these nights when Greg got a phone call. He and Steven both jumped as it started to buzz.

"Dad?" Steven said as he rubbed his eyes. "Who's calling you at two in the morning?"

"Dunno, Schtu-ball. I'll be one second, okay?"

He walked to the end of the street and answered it. The sound of a propeller in the background tipped him off instantly to the caller's identity. "Andy?"

"Greg!"

"Hi, Andy," Greg raised an eyebrow. "It's great to hear from you, but… why are you calling so late?"

"It's late over there? How late?"

"Uhh… two o'clock?"

"Oh jeez, I'm sorry. Timezones. Should I call back later?"

"No, no. What is it?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Greg glanced back at the van. "It's been a slow day. I don't mind."

"Alright, well, I just wondered if you and your kid'd be interested in a little trip I planned, since you said you liked Korea so much. Steven said you got taken in by some tall lady with diamonds while you were over there."

"Taken, yeah. So where are you flying to?"

"I was gonna cross the Atlantic, and stay over in London for a couple days before going back. Figured you and Steven would like looking around the city. So, uh, how's that sound?"

Greg thought about it. A trip away from the Gems at this time… he wasn't sure if that would be a good idea. On the other hand, it didn't look like everything was going to be wrapped up in the next couple of days. This was a big deal, and clearly the Gems just wanted some time alone to deal with it. Maybe Steven needed that time too.

"Greg? How does that sound?"

"Oh! Sorry, Andy. That sounds really great, actually, but I'll have to ask Steven."

"Yeah, of course. How's about I ring you back tomorrow, when I land?"

"That sounds like a good idea. I'll talk to you soon."

"Talk to you soon."

"Oh, and, Andy?" Greg smiled. "Thanks for calling. It really means a lot."

"Huh? Oh, it's no problem, you big goofball. You better give me an answer tomorrow!"

"I will, I will. Bye."

He hung up, and Greg stood there for a moment, looking out at the sea, the stars, and the moonlight as it stretched out to the horizon. Then he turned, and headed back to the van.

Steven was waiting for him. "Was that Andy?"

"Yeah, that was Andy. Hey," Greg reached for the remote, and muted the TV. "He was telling me about this trip he wanted to go on, and he was wondering if you and I would like to tag along."

"Where?"

"He was going to fly all the way across the Atlantic Ocean, to England."

Steven's eyes widened. "Whoa. Are we going to stay in a castle?"

"Maybe! Andy says we're going to London, and there's plenty of castles there. I think."

"That sounds super cool! Just…"

"The Gems."

"Yeah. What if they need me, and I'm not here? If there's an emergency, or, or, another Homeworld attack?" Steven gripped the blankets. "I can't leave. I have to stay. I have to be there for them."

Greg ruffled his son's hair. "I know, kiddo. But, you know, since you found out all that stuff about Pink Diamond, you've been really, really stressed out. It's getting to you. I know you want to help them, but… sometimes you need a break, you know? And that's okay."

He watched Steven rub his eyes. "That's true… and I guess, even if something does happen, they can warp right over and get me, can't they?"

"Yeah! You guys go all around the world anyway! England's nothing."

Steven smiled. "Yeah… yeah! Let's do it!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah! It'll be fun, like a human trip! Human trip!"

Steven was excited, Greg was excited for him. The first few days of the 'human trip' went great, and they arrived in England just as the sun was rising. After briefly visiting the hotel, dropping off their bags, and taking a moment to stare longingly at the fluffy beds, they went out to see the city.

Greg watched Steven stare up at old buildings, his eyes filled with that familiar wonder that had been absent as of late. He smiled at Steven's laugh. They came across an old candy shop, and he followed Steven in.

"This is so cool!" Steven said, walking down the brightly coloured aisles. He picked one out. "What's a 'Flake'?"

Andy blinked. "Wait, wait, have you never had British chocolate?"

"What's the difference?"

"What's the- no, I'm gonna show you." He nabbed the bar out of Steven's hand and placed it on the counter. "Listen, Steven, there's things you experience when you fly around the world like I do. Beautiful sights. Crazy adventures. British chocolate."

"You're funny, Uncle Andy."

Greg smiled. Steven was having fun.

The skies had been grey all day, but a light drizzle started up as they walked down… well, they weren't exactly sure where they were. They were near the big river – he was blanking on the name – so it couldn't be too hard to get their footing. They followed the river, and came to a small, quiet park.

"Whoa, this is so pretty!" Steven wandered up to the river bank, looking out to the other side. "Hey, it has a pretty nice view! We should take a picture here – we should take a picture of all three of us! We haven't done one of those yet."

Andy was busy looking down at his map. "Hold on a second, Steven…"

"That sounds like a good idea, Schtu-ball!" Greg looked around the park, and his eyes settled on a woman sitting on a park bench, looking down at her phone. "Hey, why don't you ask that lady? I'm sure she won't mind if you ask nicely."

"I will!" Steven walked up to her. "Excuse me?"

And that was the moment. That was the moment it went so wrong.

 _Rose Quartz_.

And the next thing Greg knew, he was helping Steven out of a river.

"Steven!" Andy rushed over, wrapping his coat around Steven's soaked shoulders. "I'm so glad you're alright! What happened? Who was that?"

"She was another Gem."

"A Gem? What, like your aunts?"

"Sorta. It's complicated." He wrapped Andy's coat tighter around himself. "We have to find her. We have to find her right now!"

Greg made a face. "Whoa, slow down. Don't you want a change of clothes first? You're shivering."

"No! What if she's here to kidnap more humans from the Human Zoo? We have to find her! And we have to tell Amethyst and Pearl and-! The Crystal Gems! Come on!"

He rushed past Greg and Andy, trailing water as he went. And that was the end of their little vacation.

* * *

 _Knock, knock_.

"Mom! Someone's at the door."

"I heard. I'll get it."

Emily got up from her desk and hurried to the front door. She looked through the peephole and instantly recognized the person on the other side; it was Pearl.

What was Pearl doing here? Didn't she say she was busy?

Emily didn't know, but she was never one to leave a friend standing out in the rain. She undid the latch and swung her door wide open.

"Pearl! You…" Emily's smile died on her face. "Came?"

There was something strange about her colleague. Pearl normally dressed immaculately – sometimes Emily was a little jealous of how neat she looked all the time – but today was different. Her pale dress was smudged with dirt and torn in places. Her head was down, and her short hair obscured her face.

"Uh…"

"Pearl?" Danny's voice shook her out of her shock. "Ms Laelia Pearl?"

"One second Danny! Keep studying!" Emily stepped out and closed the door behind her. "Hey, Pearl? Are you okay? Pearl?"

She reached out and tapped Pearl on the shoulder. Finally, she seemed to look up and around, before focusing on her. Her expression was completely blank. "Oh. Emily. I came… for the study session?"

"Oh, um, thanks? So… you graded those tests pretty quick, huh?"

"Yes, I did."

Emily waited for her to say something else, but nothing was forthcoming. Pearl kept staring at her, unblinking, and it was beginning to creep her out. She took a deep breath.

"Hey, Pearl, um… are you okay? You look a little – how do I put this-"

"Dishevelled."

"Right. Yeah. Good word. Exactly what I was going for. So, um," She gestured to Pearl's entire body. "What happened?"

Pearl finally shut her eyes. She looked down. "It's… well, you see, I got into a car accident."

"What?! What happened?"

"I got into a car accident, and my mother, my poor, sweet mother, the next thing I see is them carting her off, and… and…" Pearl put her face in her hands. "She didn't make it. She died."

Emily gasped. "Oh my god! I'm-I'm so sorry!" She wrapped Pearl in a hug. "You don't have to come over and tutor my son – go home, rest up, please! I'll take you if you-"

"No!" Pearl pushed away. "I can't go back. I-I lived alone with her – my mother – and I… don't think I could bear to go back. I don't know what to do. I just don't know what to do."

"Do you have any family you could call up?"

She shook her head.

"Any friends?"

"Not really. I'm all alone."

Emily was reeling from shock at the news – poor, poor Pearl! And no friends or family to take care of her? There was only one thing to do.

Pearl started to walk away. "It's okay. I guess… I guess I'll have to go back to the apartment some time."

"No. No, wait." Emily put a hand on her shoulder – she felt that weird lump again, but she tried to ignore it. "If you don't want to go back… why don't you stay with me for a little bit?"

Pearl's eyes widened. "Really? You'd do that?"

"Of course! I can't imagine how you're feeling after something like that – you don't want to be alone right now!"

"I mean, I don't want to be a bother-"

"Nonsense. You're no bother, seriously."

"Well… if you insist. Thank you so much, Emily."

"Don't mention it. It's what friends do for friends." She opened the door and beckoned Pearl inside. "Come on, let's get you out of those dirty old clothes. Put some dinner in you. That'll make you feel better, I promise."

As Emily led Pearl into her house, her mind was filled with so many things – what to say, what to do to help her poor, grieving friend. What she failed to notice in all that clutter, was the small, satisfied smile that had formed on Pearl's face.

"Thank you so much."


End file.
